Home Office

Muslim Brotherhood

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans her Department has to take account in its policies of the conclusions of the Muslim Brotherhood Review, HC 679, published on 17 December 2015.

Karen Bradley: The Review into the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) has highlighted concerns about the Brotherhood and concluded that aspects of its ideology and tactics in the UK, and overseas, have been contrary to our values, national interests and national security.The Government will intensify its scrutiny of the views and activities that Brotherhood members and associates promote, both here and overseas. It will also continue to consult, and share information and analysis, with other governments in the Middle East and North Africa as appropriate.We have looked carefully at the findings of the review and will continue to:• refuse visas to members and associates of the Brotherhood who are on record as having made extremist comments, in line with our existing policy guidelines and approach to extremism in all forms; • seek to ensure charities that have links to the Brotherhood are not misused to support or finance the Brotherhood instead of their lawful charitable purpose; • strengthen liaison arrangements with international partners to ensure that allegations of illicit funding or other misuse of charities are robustly investigated and appropriate action taken; • enforce the EU asset freeze on Hamas; and • keep under review whether the views and activities of the Brotherhood meet the legal test for proscription.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Privy Council Office Judicial Committee

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his Answer of 2 February 2016 to Question 24086, how many cases were referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privacy Council as the final court of appeal by Commonwealth realms in 2013 and 2014.

Mr Hugo Swire: The number of cases referred by Commonwealth realms to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council as the final court of appeal was 15 in 2014 and 19 in 2013.

Taiwan: Earthquakes

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assistance the UK is providing to Taiwan since the recent earthquake in that country; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Hugo Swire: Through The British Office in Taipei we have worked closely with the Taiwanese authorities to establish whether any British Nationals were affected by this tragic earthquake. The Taiwanese authorities have responded swiftly and effectively to the earthquake. Taiwan is not a recipient of UK aid, which is targeted at the poorest, and those least able to cope with such disasters.The Foreign Secretary and I have passed our thoughts and condolences to the people of Taiwan and all those affected.

Turkey: Kurds

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received on the situation in the Kurdish town of Cizre.

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Turkish counterparts on the siege of Cizre by Turkish government forces.

Mr David Lidington: Security operations, including military curfews, are continuing in Cizre and other towns in south-east Turkey against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and its youth wing, the YPS (Civil Protection Units, formerly the YDG-H). There has been intense fighting in recent days. One policeman and one soldier were killed on 9 February. Our condolences are with the families of the soldiers and police who have been killed, and with civilians caught up in the violence. We continue to call for the PKK to end its terrorist attacks and for the peace process to be resumed. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) and Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Turkey have emphasised to the Turkish government the need to respect human rights and avoid civilian casualties. We stand ready to help in any way we can.

UK Membership of EU

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the proposed outcomes of the renegotiation of the UK's membership of the EU would require the approval of the European Parliament to be legally binding.

Mr David Lidington: An agreement reached by the Heads of State or Government of the Member States, reflecting the outcomes of the renegotiation, would not require the approval of the European Parliament to be legally binding.

Colombia: Politics and Government

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the Colombian government's ability to guarantee safety for (a) social activists and (b) human rights defenders in the region of Catatumbo.

Mr Hugo Swire: Our Embassy in Bogota has received reports about the safety of social activists and human rights defenders in Catatumbo. This was raised at a meeting between Embassy officials and community leaders during a visit to the Catatumbo region in May 2015 and also in a meeting with the ‘Marcha Patriotica’ movement in January 2016. The Government of Colombia has put in place a National Protection Unit responsible for coordinating and implementing protective measures for those at risk due to their activities.Peace Process negotiations are at a key stage, but there is still further to go. Catatumbo is an example of a region in conflict that will be positively impacted by a peace deal. This Government is committed to supporting Colombia as part of the ongoing negotiations to ensure the safety of its people and long term stability across the country.

Colombia: Homicide

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his Colombian counterpart on the 24 trade unionists killed in Colombia in 2015.

Mr Hugo Swire: Our Embassy in Bogotá takes every opportunity to urge the Colombian government to take further measures to prevent violence and threats against human rights defenders and trade unionists. Our Ambassador in Bogotá raised concerns about human rights defenders with the Colombian Interior Minister on 1 February and with the Presidential Advisor for Human Rights on 4 February. Furthermore, this year we are funding a Colombian NGO to develop protection measures for human rights defenders in rural areas. Our Embassy will continue to raise these issues in regular meetings with the Colombian government.

North Korea: Guided Weapons

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made on the test launch by North Korea of a long-range ballistic missile on 7 February 2016; and what representations the Government has received on the UK maintenance of the its long-range Trident ballistic missile system since 7 February 2016.

Mr Hugo Swire: I have strongly condemned the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)’s satellite launch of 7 February, which used ballistic missile technology in clear violation of a number of UN Security Council Resolutions. On 8 February I summoned the DPRK’s Ambassador to make clear the UK’s strong condemnation of the launch. In addition, I issued a Written Ministerial Statement to Parliament on 11 February, setting out the UK’s response to the satellite launch. The DPRK’s actions are a further threat to regional security and the stability of the Korean peninsula. It is clear that the DPRK continues to prioritise its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes over the welfare of its people.The government has not received any representations on the Trident long-range missile system since 7 February 2016.

India: Sikhs

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Indian counterpart on the treatment of Sikhs campaigning for human rights in that country; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Hugo Swire: The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) discussed religious tolerance in India with Prime Minister Modi on 12 November 2015. Mr Modi reassured the British Government that he remained committed to diversity and fundamental freedoms. Mr Modi was clear in his commitment to and respect for India’s core values of tolerance and fundamental rights, as well as reaffirming the importance of social harmony and inclusive development. Mr Modi met a delegation of Sikh leaders during his visit to the UK in November 2015 and discussed a range of issues effecting the Sikh community in India. His visit, including his address at Wembley, highlighted the contribution that Sikh and other religious minority communities make to India, and to UK-India relations. I also discussed religious tolerance with the Indian Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh on 5 November.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Hospitality Guild: Training

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what information his Department holds on how many people attended the Hospitality Guild's centres of excellence in Asian cookery in each of the last three years; and how many such people successfully completed that training.

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much funding his Department has given to the Hospitality Guild for creating centres of excellence in Asian cookery.

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much funding his Department has provided to the Hospitality Guild since its foundation.

Nick Boles: The ‘Centres of Excellence in Asian Cookery’ pilots were organised by People 1st, which was operating on behalf of the Hospitality Guild, which received funding from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) through their grant with BIS. People 1st reported that during the period of the pilot (October 2011 to September 2013), 79 people started training at the Centres of Excellence for Asian and Oriental cuisine, out of which 46 completed the pre-employment course, 22 completed work experience and 7 moved onto an apprenticeship. £205,961 was provided to fund the Asian Cookery campaign. In total, UKCES allocated £1,745,785 to create the Hospitality Guild and to promote skills training, apprenticeships and innovation in the hospitality industry through a range of measures. These included apprenticeships as chefs, baristas, bar staff and hotel management, training provider accreditation, work placements and launching the Hospitality Guild Portal where careers tools, an employer guide and a vacancy matching service can be accessed.

Higher Education: Student Numbers

Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many students from England who have studied for higher education qualifications at (a) higher education institutions and (b) further education institutions in (i) Northern Ireland, (ii) Scotland and (iii) Wales in each of the last five years.

Joseph Johnson: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes statistics on students enrolled at UK Higher Education Institutions (HEI) in the annual Statistical First Release (SFR) “Enrolments and Qualifications in Higher Education”, which is available at the following link: https://hesa.ac.uk/sfr224. The number of English-domiciled students studying at Welsh, Scottish, and Northern Irish HEIs is presented in the following table:   English-Domiciled Enrolments by Country of InstitutionUK Higher Education InstitutionsAcademic Years 2010/11 to 2014/15 2010/112011/122012/132013/142014/15Welsh HEIs35,21037,70536,98537,42036,790Scottish HEIs24,01023,80523,48022,53523,510Northern Irish HEIs1,1351,5351,7101,8752,540Source: HESA Student RecordNote: figures have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 5 The step increase in the number of English enrolments at Northern Irish HEIs in 2014/15 is a result of the University of Ulster running business programmes at its London and Birmingham campuses. Information on students enrolled at Further Education Institutions in different UK countries is not collected by HESA and is available from the respective administrations.

Students: Grants

Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many higher education students from England were in receipt of maintenance grants for each of the last five years in (a) Northern Ireland, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales.

Joseph Johnson: Statistics showing the number of English applicants awarded Maintenance Grants are published annually by the Student Loans Company (SLC) in the Statistical First Release ‘Student Support for Higher Education in England’.http://www.slc.co.uk/official-statistics/financial-support-awarded/england-higher-education.aspx The number of English applicants awarded Maintenance Grants for each of the last five academic years in: (a) Northern Ireland, (b) Scotland, and (c) Wales, can be found in the table. Maintenance Grants (1) awarded (2) to English applicants by country of providerAcademic years 2010/11 to 2014/15 Academic yearNorthern IrelandScotlandWales2010/112005,40014,1002011/122005,60015,5002012/132005,00014,1002013/143004,80013,7002014/159004,80012,900 Source: Student Loans CompanyNotes:(1) Figures include Special Support Grants(2) Awards do not necessarily translate into payments. An awarded applicant will only receive payments once SLC have received confirmation that the student has been registered on the course  The step increase in the number of Maintenance Grants awarded to English applicants at Northern Ireland providers in 2014/15 is a result of the University of Ulster running business programmes at its London and Birmingham campuses.

Exports

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of the introduction of a mentoring scheme for businesses who wish to export to a country or region that partners such businesses with other businesses that export to that country or region.

Anna Soubry: Lord Maude made a statement to the House of Lords on Tuesday 19 January on the Government’s strategy to support trade. The new operating model set out in the statement will see UK Trade & Investment start to pilot schemes that provide direct support to businesses over the coming months. There are no plans to pilot a mentoring scheme. Instead, UKTI will continue to identify opportunities to connect UK businesses via the mentorsme network, Britain’s first online gateway for small and medium sized enterprises looking for mentoring services. This service offers businesses free access to a list of quality-assured business mentoring organisations across Britain.

UK Trade and Investment: Performance Standards

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of benchmarking UKTI's performance against that of other countries' export agencies.

Anna Soubry: There is considerable merit in understanding how our competitors’ export agencies are structured and the services they offer. This is something the Exports Implementation Taskforce, which the Secretary of State chairs, looked at in some depth in developing a whole-of-Government approach to exports. This included, UK Trade & Investment participating in a formal benchmarking exercise by the International Trade Centre.Among the key things found from these comparative reviews is that UKTI employs more people than other countries’ export promotion agencies, but deploys less resource on practical support for exporters (such as interim export managers). Learning from this, UKTI is currently developing some small-scale direct practical support services and products to see what might work in the UK.

Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2015 to Question 10523, whether hon. Members of both Houses have the same levels of access to consolidated texts related to the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) as members of the (a) European Parliament, (b) German Parliament, (c) Scottish Parliament, (d) Welsh Assembly and (e) Northern Ireland Assembly; and what the Government's policy is on the provision of a reading room for hon. Members of both Houses to scrutinise the consolidated texts of documents.

Anna Soubry: The European Commission shares classified documents relating to the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) with Members of the European Parliament via a reading room. Following pressure from Member States, the Commission and the US have agreed that national parliamentarians should have similar access to classified TTIP documents, including consolidated texts, via reading rooms in national ministries. Restrictions placed on these rooms include that they are only accessible to officials of Member State central governments and Members of Member State national Parliaments. The UK intends to establish such a reading room in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. This will give equivalent access to documents for hon. Members of both Houses to that afforded to Members of the European Parliament.

Department for International Development

New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will issue a response to EDM 337, G7 New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition.

Mr Nick Hurd: The purpose of the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition is to promote inclusive and responsible investment. This is required to sustainably link smallholder farmers into markets, reducing poverty and to ensure that all people have access to high quality and affordable food. The £600 million pledged to the New Alliance by DFID will fund bilateral projects in six original New Alliance partner countries aimed at improving agricultural incomes, food security and nutrition of the extreme poor, including through agroecological practices.DFID is effectively supporting a wide range of programmes with agroecological components, from soil and water conservation and land use management to climate resilience and conservation agriculture. For example, we fund the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) for the Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme (ASAP) to support 6 million farmers to be more resilient to climate change through a broad set of agroecological and sustainable practices.

Syria: Refugees

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the effect of the recent fighting around Aleppo on refugee numbers.

Mr Desmond Swayne: At the “Supporting Syria and the Region London 2016” Conference we co-hosted on 4th February 2016, leaders came together to pledge more than $11 billion, the largest amount raised in one day for a humanitarian crisis. Commitments made at the Conference will help to create 1.1 million jobs and provide education to an additional 1 million children. The protection of civilians was at the heart of the Conference. Participants agreed to use their influence with all parties to the conflict to halt abuses, to allow humanitarian agencies rapid, safe and unimpeded access throughout Syria in order to reach besieged and hard-to-reach areas. The outcomes of the conference are reflected in the Co-hosts' statement available on the Conference website www.supportingsyria2016.com.The UK condemns the actions of the Syrian regime, driving civilians from their homes in and around Aleppo, and the role of Russia in supporting this offensive. We are deeply concerned by reports that over 30,000 civilians have been newly displaced from Aleppo City and other areas of northern Syria between 1st and 8th February. This is on top of the existing 36,000 internally displaced persons from Aleppo City.DFID continues to use existing funding to support our partners to be flexible in their responses and to enable the realignment of programming to meet those newly displaced and most in need. We also support the UN OCHA managed, Humanitarian Pooled Fund (HPF), which has announced a US$10.5 million emergency fund to meet the needs of the new displaced as a result of the fighting in northern Aleppo. The HPF funding will focus on meeting key health, WASH, food, shelter and protection needs.

Department for Education

Hackney New Primary School

Meg Hillier: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the cost to the public purse was of the purchase of the Kingsland Fire Station site for use by the Hackney New Primary School; and what the gain to the public purse was of the sale of that site.

Nick Gibb: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 11 January 2016.The correct answer should have been:

Neither the Secretary of State for Education nor the Department for Education has purchased this site. The Secretary of State for the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) purchased Kingsland Fire Station, 333 Kingsland Road, London, E8 from the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority.The purchase of Kingsland Fire Station, 333 Kingsland Road, London, E8 4DR for the sum of £16,000,000 (exclusive of VAT) from the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority was funded from the Department for Education’s budget and made in the name of the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. The site has not been sold on.

Nick Gibb: Neither the Secretary of State for Education nor the Department for Education has purchased this site. The Secretary of State for the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) purchased Kingsland Fire Station, 333 Kingsland Road, London, E8 from the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority.The purchase of Kingsland Fire Station, 333 Kingsland Road, London, E8 4DR for the sum of £16,000,000 (exclusive of VAT) from the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority was funded from the Department for Education’s budget and made in the name of the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. The site has not been sold on.

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to make it compulsory for primary schools to teach (a) the correct names for genitalia, (b) that genitals are private to the child and (c) where children should seek help if they are abused.

Edward Timpson: In key stage 1 (ages 5 to 7), pupils are taught about the main external body parts and teachers are able to teach pupils as is appropriate for their needs. At key stage 2 (ages seven to 11), pupils learn about changes to the human body as it grows from birth to old age. Puberty and body parts are important parts of this. All schools must have regard to the Department’s “Keeping Children Safe in Education” statutory guidance when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. This guidance requires governing bodies and proprietors to consider how children may be taught about safeguarding, including online, through teaching and learning opportunities, as part of a broad and balanced curriculum. This may include covering relevant issues through Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education and through Sex and Relationships Education. The Department is in the process of consulting on changing the requirement from the need to “consider how children may be taught” to “ensure children are taught”.

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to update the Sex and Relationship Education Guidance that was published in 2000.

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to make sex and relationship training mandatory for all the teachers.

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to improve the teaching of personal, social, health and economic education and sex and relationship education in schools that Ofsted inspectors have assessed as requiring improvement in the teaching of those subjects.

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of how (a) academies, (b) primary schools and (c) other schools have implemented the Sex and Relationship Education Guidance published in 2000.

Edward Timpson: This Government believes that all children should have the opportunity to receive a high quality and appropriate sex and relationship education (SRE). SRE is compulsory in all maintained secondary schools and many primary schools also teach it in an age-appropriate way. The Government also expects academies and free schools to deliver SRE as part of their provision of a broad and balanced curriculum. Any state-funded school teaching SRE must have regard to the Secretary of State’s SRE guidance (2000). The Department does not collect data about the number of schools that follow the guidance. The Department has received requests about updating the existing SRE guidance which we will carefully consider. Ofsted does not inspect individual curriculum subjects. However, aspects of Personal Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education and SRE will inform its judgment on personal development, behaviour and welfare. Inspectors must also consider the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils. Schools have responsibility for acting upon the inspection reports they receive and any weaknesses will be considered when the school is next inspected. Initial Teacher Training is currently determined by the Teachers’ Standards, which all trainee teachers must be able to demonstrate by the end of their training. The Standards set out the key principles of good subject pedagogy and the importance of subject knowledge development across the curriculum. Schools and headteachers are best placed to determine which staff learning activities will be most beneficial for their schools and we expect them to lead the personal development of their teachers to improve the quality of all round teaching. The Department supports schools’ efforts to improve PSHE teaching, by drawing schools’ attention to a range of high quality PSHE education teaching resources, including quality resources, lesson plans, a programme of study, factsheets and case studies. These resources are kite-marked by the PSHE Association to ensure that schools can trust the materials they use and improve their teaching.

GCSE

Danny Kinahan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to ensure consistency of GCSE grades across the UK after changes to the grading system.

Nick Gibb: This is a matter for Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have therefore asked its Chief Regulator, Glenys Stacey, to write directly to the Honourable Member. A copy of her reply will be placed in the House of Commons Library.

GCSE

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of pupils who achieved five A* to C grades at GCSE in 2015 received no higher than a C grade in any subject.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of pupils who achieved five A* to C grades at GCSE in 2015 received no higher than a B grade in any subject.

Nick Gibb: Of those pupils[1] achieving five A* to C grades at GCSE[2] in 2015:4.5% received no higher than a C grade in any subject32.8% received no higher than a B grade in any subject [1] Based on pupils at the end of key stage 4 in the 2014/15 academic year[2] Based on those pupils entering single award GCSEs only

GCSE

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of pupils achieved a A* to C grade at GCSE in (a) a modern foreign language and (b) science in each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: Information on the proportion of students achieving an A* to C grade at GCSE in a modern foreign language and science in each of the last five years is published at national level as part of the “GCSE and equivalent results in England: statistical first release” series[1]. [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-gcses-key-stage-4

Harperbury Free School

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the performance of the Education Funding Agency on the case of Harperbury Free School; and what the cost to the public purse of that school has been to date.

Edward Timpson: I have every confidence in the performance of the Education Funding Agency on this project. The combined capital and revenue cost of the project to date is £1,919,000.

Harperbury Free School

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the reasons were for the time taken for her Department and the Department of Health to reach an agreement on the site for Harperbury Free School.

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department engaged in a contract with the Department of Health to transfer land within the Harperbury site for the proposed Harperbury Free School.

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department's agreement with the Department of Health to secure the Harperbury Free School site included a provision that the Department of Health would meet the costs of relocating Harperbury Bowls Club elsewhere on the Harperbury site.

Edward Timpson: The negotiation for land for the site of Harperbury Free School was part of a wider land sale for new homes which was being negotiated by the Department of Health. Heads of Terms for the sale were agreed in September 2014 and subsequently revised in October 2015.

Free Schools: Luton

Mr Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what payments her Department has provided to Luton Girl's Academy or people associated with its application to achieve free school status since 2013; on what dates such payments were made; and on what dates the school or such individuals repaid payments to her Department.

Edward Timpson: Proposer groups whose applications are approved into the pre-opening stage of the free school process receive a fixed rate project development grant to cover essential expenditure to establish a new school. Total pre-opening revenue costs for free schools that opened or were withdrawn before opening, are published on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/revenue-expenditure-for-free-schools. The Department plans to publish updated expenditure for free schools that were open or withdrawn in 2015, which will include Luton Girls’ Academy, by end March 2016. Any unspent funding is returned to the Department by the trust.

Horticulture: Training

Danny Kinahan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to increase the number of (a) special needs students and (b) higher skills learners in horticultural training.

Edward Timpson: We want all young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND), whatever their chosen career path, to be well prepared for adult life. As we have made clear in the SEND Code of Practice, the vast majority of young people with SEND are capable of sustained employment with the right preparation and support. Study programmes for individual young people with SEND should be tailored to their individual aspirations and abilities. Our reforms to technical and vocational education incentivise schools and colleges to teach only those qualifications that meet rigorous quality criteria, develop the skills and knowledge that employers need, and enable young people to progress into employment. For 16-18 year olds this includes eight qualifications in horticulture that will equip them to apply for a range of jobs in the sector. However, we want to go further to reform technical and professional education to develop a world-leading system. In November 2015, the Government announced reforms to technical and professional education that will simplify the skills system and ensure it is owned, understood and valued by employers. This Government will simplify and streamline the number of qualifications so that individuals have a clear set of routes which allow for progression to higher level skills. This will make it clearer to young people how they can gain the skills necessary to access different occupations, including horticulture related occupations. An independent panel, chaired by Lord Sainsbury, is developing proposals for these reforms and will report to Government in the spring‎ of 2016.

Schools: Bradford

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what additional funding her Department is providing to Bradford Council to help schools with essential repairs.

Edward Timpson: To help responsible bodies, such as Bradford Council, improve the condition of school buildings, we provide them with School Condition Allocations. In both 2015 to 2016 and 2016 to 2017 Bradford Council has been allocated £5.8 million of this funding. The council has the freedom to use this funding to address local priorities.

Primary Education: Christchurch

Mr Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the proposed location is for the new primary academy to be opened in West Christchurch from September 2016 by Twynham Learning Foundation; and what financial contribution her Department plans to make to that academy's premises.

Edward Timpson: The proposed location for the new school is in Marsh Lane, West Christchurch, subject to local planning approval. Whilst we require local authorities to provide a site for schools under the free school presumption, the choice of site is an entirely local matter. Basic need funding is allocated to local authorities to help them create new school places. Dorset has been allocated £15 million of basic need funding for the period 2015-18. It is for the local authority to determine how much of this to allocate to individual projects.

Academies: Admissions

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 9 February 2016 to Question 25400, which academies and free schools made those applications to her Department to vary admissions requirements.

Edward Timpson: Pursuant to the answer of 9 February 2016 to Question 25400, one academy and two free schools have made applications to the Department to vary admissions requirements, these are as follows:AcademyThe Victory Academy (Thinking Schools Academy Trust) - not approved.Free SchoolsNishkam School West London (Nishkam School Trust) – approved.Cobham Free School – approved.

Health Education: Sex

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she plans to take to ensure that (a) LGBT-inclusive sex and relationships education and (b) sexually transmitted infections and HIV awareness are taught in all schools.

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how she monitors how (a) academies, (b) primary schools and (c) other schools are following her Department's Sex and Relationship Education (SRE) Guidance when teaching SRE.

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to make training on teaching Sex and Relationships Education mandatory for all teachers.

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when her Department's Sex and Relationship Education guidance published in 2000 will be updated.

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she plans to take to improve the teaching of Personal Social Health and Economic education and Sex and Relationships Education in schools that Ofsted has identified as requiring improvement when teaching those subjects.

Edward Timpson: The Government believes that all children should have the opportunity to receive a high quality and appropriate sex and relationship education (SRE). SRE is compulsory in all maintained secondary schools and many primary schools also teach it in an age-appropriate way. The Government also expects academies and free schools to deliver SRE as part of their provision of a broad and balanced curriculum. Any state-funded school teaching SRE must have regard to the Secretary of State’s SRE guidance (2000). The Department has received requests about updating the existing SRE guidance which we will carefully consider. Initial Teacher Training (ITT) is currently determined by the Teachers’ Standards, which all trainee teachers must be able to demonstrate by the end of their training. The Standards set out the key principles of good subject pedagogy and the importance of subject knowledge development across the curriculum. Schools and headteachers are best placed to determine which staff learning activities will be most beneficial for their schools and we expect them to lead the personal development of their teachers to improve the quality of all round teaching. The Department supports schools’ efforts to improve PSHE teaching by drawing schools’ attention to a range of high quality PSHE education teaching resources, including quality resources, lesson plans, a programme of study, factsheets and case studies. These resources are kite-marked by the PSHE Association to ensure that schools can trust the materials they use and improve their teaching. Ofsted does not inspect individual curriculum subjects. However, aspects of PSHE education and SRE will inform its judgment on personal development, behaviour and welfare. Inspectors must also consider the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils. Schools have responsibility for acting upon the inspection reports they receive and any weaknesses will be considered when the school is next inspected. We expect schools to ensure that young people, whatever their developing sexuality or identity, feel that SRE education is relevant to them and sensitive to their needs. The statutory SRE guidance is clear that schools should teach about HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. Sexually transmitted infections are also covered as part of the national curriculum for science at key stage 3. We welcome the supplementary SRE guidance ‘SRE for the 21st Century’ produced by Brook, the PSHE Association and the Sex Education Forum, which includes guidance on ensuring that SRE is inclusive. All children and young people, regardless of background or identity, are entitled to quality SRE that helps them build confidence and stay healthy.

Ministry of Justice

Civil Proceedings: Fees and Charges

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on access to justice for people on low incomes of the Government's proposals to (a) increase the small claims court threshold and (b) remove the right to general damages for soft tissue injuries.

Dominic Raab: The Government will consult on the detail of the new reforms in due course, including any necessary safeguards. The consultation will be accompanied by an impact assessment.

Prisoners: Females

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offences of each type were committed by (a) sentenced female prisoners and (b) female prisoners held on remand who had their children with them in prison in each of the last three years; and which such offences were of each type in the violence against the person category.

Caroline Dinenage: The information requested is not centrally held, and could be collected only at disproportionate cost.

Ministry of Defence

Trident Submarines

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he expects the (a) demonstration phase and (b) manufacture phase of the Successor submarine programme to begin.

Penny Mordaunt: We expect to approve the next stage of the Successor submarine programme later in 2016.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Mr David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether there are Reaper Ground Control Stations available for use by UK Reaper Squadrons 13 and 39 in North Africa.

Penny Mordaunt: The Government has a long standing policy not to comment on intelligence matters.

USA: Military Alliances

Mr David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether any personnel from Reaper Squadrons 39 or 13 are currently embedded with US forces.

Penny Mordaunt: No personnel directly from 39 Squadron or 13 Squadron are currently embedded with the US armed forces. However, from the Reaper force as a whole, there are currently six Royal Air Force personnel embedded with the United States Air Force.

Libya: Unmanned Air Vehicles

Mr David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, within what timeframe his Department is able to deploy Reaper drones to Libya.

Penny Mordaunt: I am withholding the information on the deployment timelines of Reaper Remotely Piloted Air Systems as its disclosure would or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

Cyprus: Refugees

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many refugee applications from migrants living in the Sovereign Base Areas started before 1 December 2008 had not been determined on 8 August 2014; how many such applications were determined as failed following the enactment of the Refugees (Amendment) Ordinance 2014; and how many migrants have been removed from the Sovereign Base Areas as a consequence of the enactment of that ordinance.

Penny Mordaunt: Thirty-eight refugee applications from migrants living in the Sovereign Base Areas before 1 December 2008 had been open but not determined on 8 August 2014. Delays in processing asylum applications were due to the migrants refusing to co-operate with case workers handling their claims. In 2003, an MOU was agreed with the Republic of Cyprus on the handling of illegal migrants in the Sovereign Base Areas. Under the terms of that agreement, all applications for asylum from migrants present in the Sovereign Base Areas at that time were considered by the Republic on behalf of the Sovereign Base Areas Administration by specialist staff of the Republic of Cyprus Asylum Service. The 38 migrants were informed they were failed asylum seekers following their prolonged unwillingness to engage with Republic of Cyprus asylum case workers. The intent of the Refugees (Amendment) Ordinance 2014 was to regularise the residency status of failed asylum seekers residing in the Sovereign Base Areas, so as to grant them temporary residence until they could be returned to their country of origin or a third country. No persons amongst this group have yet been removed from the Sovereign Base Areas as a consequence of this ordinance. They remain liable for return.

USA: Military Alliances

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which UK assets were supporting the USS Harry S. Truman in the Persian Gulf on 12 January 2016.

Penny Mordaunt: On 12 January 2016 HMS Defender, a Type 45 destroyer, was providing air defence to the US carrier USS Harry S Truman as part of her recent role supporting both the French and American carriers in the Gulf.

Syria: Military Intervention

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Reaper drones have been used in operations in Syria.

Penny Mordaunt: I am withholding operational information on the number of RAF Reaper aircraft deployed as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

Military Exercises: Nuclear Weapons

Brendan O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether an assessment was made of the (a) decontamination, (b) environmental and (c) other costs was before each Astral exercise between February 2011 and November 2012; and what the incremental cost was of each of the major elements for managing the post-incident contamination.

Brendan O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the nature and quantity was of the nuclear materials released in terms of (a) its physical state, (b) its mass quantity, (c) the release fraction assumed for each transportation package and (d) the total released radioactivity in Becquerels for each Astral exercise between February 2011 and November 2012.

Brendan O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which agency or organisation undertook the release dispersion and deposition modelling and radiological dose assessment of each Astral exercise between February 2011 and November 2012.

Brendan O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the estimated radiological dose uptake was in terms of (a) individual whole equivalent dose in milli-Sievert and (b) collective dose in man-Sievert for (i) Services and his Department's civilian personnel involved in and responding to the incident, (ii) civilian emergency services personnel responders attending and (iii) members of the public during each Astral exercise between February 2011 and November 2012.

Brendan O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether each Astral exercise between February 2011 and November 2012 assumed a post-incident release of nuclear materials from the transportation packages.

Penny Mordaunt: The Ministry of Defence maintains a Defence Nuclear Emergency Organisation (NEO) to respond in the unlikely event of an emergency involving the transport of defence nuclear materials. The NEO organises regular exercises to test the effectiveness of its emergency response planning and arrangements. These include the Astral series of exercises, which are designed to be challenging, and thus simulate the extremely unlikely event of a release of radioactive material from the transport containers. No radioactive materials are used or released to the environment during the exercises. The specific exercise objectives do not require assessments or estimates of decontamination, environmental or other post-incident decontamination costs or of radiological dose uptakes. The Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) undertook the modelling for each Astral exercise between February 2011 and November 2012.I am withholding information about the physical state, mass quantity, release fraction and total released radioactivity assumed for these exercises as disclosure would or would be likely to prejudice national security.

Military Exercises: Nuclear Weapons

Brendan O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what (a) atmospheric stability class was assumed for the downwind dispersion and deposition of the release fall-out; and what the assumed distribution and gross area of ground and surface contamination was in terms of contours versed in Becqueral per square metre in each Astral exercise between February 2011 and November 2012.

Penny Mordaunt: I am withholding the requested information as its disclosure would or would be likely to prejudice national security and international relations.

Nuclear Submarines: Expenditure

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the oral statement of 6 March 2014, Official Report, column 1077, on nuclear submarines, how much his Department set aside for financial risk provision within the submarine programme budget in each of the last six years.

Penny Mordaunt: At the programme level it is approximately 10% of the budget with a further contingency fund being available centrally. Risk management is an on-going process which is forward-looking by its very nature. Financial risk provision is a dynamic element of the overall programme budget; as risks are identified, managed, mitigated and retired the associated risk provision at various levels in the Department changes.

Department for Work and Pensions

Social Security Benefits: Wales

Gerald Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have been subject to benefit sanctions in (a) Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney constituency and (b) Wales in the most recent period for which figures are available; and what the reasons for those sanctions were.

Gerald Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of benefit sanctions have been reinstated after mandatory reconsideration in (a) Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney constituency and (b) Wales in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Priti Patel: The information requested is available at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.ukGuidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started---SuperWEB2.html

Social Security Benefits: Disqualification

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to cap the number of times a person in receipt of benefits can be sanctioned in a month.

Priti Patel: The Department has no plans to cap the number of times a sanction might apply to a claimant’s benefit in a month. There are established safeguards to prevent the accrual of sanctions. This prevents the duration of a sanction escalating if the sanctionable failure occurs within two weeks of a previous similar failure.

Universal Credit: Housing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the reasons are for the time taken to announce the successful bidders of his Department's Trusted Partner Pilot programme.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when his Department's decisions on the successful bids for the Trusted Partner Pilot Programme were communicated to bidders.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many trusted partner pilots he plans to appoint for the purposes of universal credit alternative payment arrangements.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will publish the names of the successful bidders to become trusted partner pilots for the purposes of universal credit alternative payment arrangements.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications were received for the Trusted Partner Pilot Programme for the purposes of universal credit alternative payment arrangements.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether any of the trusted partner pilots for the purposes of universal credit alternative payment arrangements will cover alternative payment arrangements for residents in (a) supported housing and (b) sheltered accommodation for elderly people.

Priti Patel: The intention is to deliver 26 Trusted Partner pilot sites. In total we received just over 200 valid applications; 16 landlords have already commenced the pilot and work is in train to confirm the final 10. We plan to let key stakeholders know once all landlords have been confirmed. Tenants in accommodation such as supported or sheltered housing are not subject to the Alternative Payment Arrangement process.

Employment: Disability

Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to facilitate full statistical recording of the employment (a) rate and (b) gap for people with disabilities.

Priti Patel: The employment rates for disabled and non-disabled people are monitored quarterly, based on the Labour Force Survey which is conducted by the Office for National Statistics. The disability employment gap can be derived by subtracting the employment rate of disabled people from the employment rate of non-disabled people. The publicly available source used to monitor disability employment is part of the National Statistics and can be found here: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/lms/labour-market-statistics/january-2016/table-a08.xls

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Taste of Ulster

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to support the work of Taste of Ulster; and if she will introduce similar organisations throughout the UK to promote food products.

George Eustice: I fully support the excellent work that Taste of Ulster is doing to showcase the finest food and drink from Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland’s Year of Food and Drink is running concurrently with the Year of Great British Food, and we are working closely with colleagues from Northern Ireland which includes some food pioneers from Northern Ireland’s food industry to ensure that our shared message about the wonderful food and drink produced throughout the UK and the outstanding food heritage of our nation reaches the widest possible audience. This year’s celebrations of food include promoting Protected Food Names. I am delighted that there are three Protected Food Names from Northern Ireland: Armagh Bramley Apples, New Season Comber Potatoes and Lough Neagh Eels and that there are four more in the pipeline. Food NI and the Taste of Ulster campaign provides a strong model of the food sector taking the lead in forming a consortium to promote the excellence of Northern Irish food. Similar initiatives exist in other parts of the UK, and I strongly encourage and support their work.

Common Fisheries Policy

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has had discussions with her EU counterparts during the renegotiation of the terms of UK membership of the EU on EU fisheries policy; and if she will take steps to secure a better outcome for the British fishing industry within that policy.

George Eustice: The Government is fighting hard to fix the aspects of our EU membership that cause so much frustration in the UK, so that we get a better deal for the UK and secure our future. The Government is focused on delivering a successful renegotiation. We believe we can and will succeed in reforming and renegotiating our relationship with the EU. Separately, the UK continues to pursue effective implementation of the reformed Common Fisheries Policy through full use of the new provisions for regionalised decision making, and including the elimination of the wasteful practice of discarding fish. The UK is also seeking to simplify technical regulations in the fisheries sector, for the benefit of the UK fishing industry and the sustainability of fish stocks.

Horse Racing: Animal Welfare

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to ban the use of whips for encouragement in horse racing.

George Eustice: The Government considers that the British Horseracing Authority’s rules on use of the whip during horseracing, which were drawn up in consultation with the RSPCA, together with the Animal Welfare Act 2006 provide protection for the welfare of racehorses. There are, therefore, no proposals to ban the use of the whip during horseracing.

Lead Ammunition Group

Andrew Bingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to publish the Lead Ammunition Group's final report; and if she will make a statement.

Rory Stewart: The Government is considering the Lead Ammunition Group’s report on the effects of lead ammunition to human health and wildlife and will respond as soon as possible. I am shortly due to meet the chairman of the Group to discuss their report on the 22nd March. The Lead Ammunition Group’s report is independent of Government. It will be for the Group to decide when to publish their report.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Derelict Land

Mike Kane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of derelict and abandoned buildings.

Brandon Lewis: The number of empty homes is at its lowest since records began. Local authorities have powers and strong incentives to tackle empty homes. Through the New Homes Bonus they earn the same financial reward for bringing an empty home back into use as building a new one. Councils may also charge up to 150% council tax for homes empty for over two years. In addition, we have reformed permitted development rights to free up the planning system and encourage the conversion of existing commercial buildings into residential unitsA local authority can also serve a notice under section 215 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to make good land and buildings that are not being properly maintained where the public amenity the area is being adversely affected. Where a section 215 notice has not been complied with, the local planning authorities can carry out the works and seek to recover the costs. Additionally local authorities also have powers under sections 76-79 of the Building Act to dealing with defective premises, dangerous buildings, ruinous/dilapidated buildings and neglected sites; section 29 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 for works on unoccupied buildings; and sections 79-82 of the Environmental Protection Act for abatement or prohibition of a nuisance.Advice to local planning authorities on how to make the best use of their powers under Section 215 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/town-and-country-planning-act-1990-section-215-best-practice-guidance

Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much has accrued to the public purse from the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in each of the last five complete financial years.

Brandon Lewis: This information is set out in the Department's Annual Report and Accounts. The Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre was valued during March 2010 and the total valuation was reported at £25,000,000. It was valued again during March 2015 and the total valuation was reported at £38,500,000. Dividend payments received by the Department from the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre trading fund for the five years are as set out below:-2010-11 - £1,200,0002011-12 - £1,200,0002012-13 - £2,250,000 (exceptional dividend received due to Olympic event)2013-14 - £1,500,0002014-15 - £1,500,000.

Refugees: Syria

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much funding the Government is providing to local authorities for each refugee for housing under the Syrian resettlement scheme (a) in London and (b) outside London.

Richard Harrington: The first 12 months of local authorities’ resettlement costs are centrally funded using the overseas aid budget. In years 2-5, local authorities receive a per person tariff tapering from £5,000 to £1,000 over the four years. This is unringfenced funding and it is for local authorities to decide how best to use it to support refugees.

Local Government: Pensions

Mr David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will apply EU Directive 41/2003 on Institutions for Occupational Retirement Provision to the Local Government Pension Scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Marcus Jones: We are satisfied that the Scheme is consistent with the way in which Directive 41/2003 on the Institutions for Occupational Retirement Provision Directive was transposed into national law. It is not therefore necessary to take any further legislative steps to ensure compliance.In March 2014 the European Commission published proposals for new Institutions for Occupational Retirement Provisions Directive. The implications for the scheme will be fully considered if these proposals are taken forward.

Housing: Construction

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to prevent the use of fraudulent roofing materials in the building of new houses.

James Wharton: Building Regulations require that building work is carried out with adequate and proper materials which are appropriate for the circumstances in which they are used. Building control bodies are responsible for checking compliance as with any other Building Regulations’ requirements. In addition, if a building material is covered by a harmonised European standard, the requirements of the European Construction Products Regulation will apply. This Regulation is enforced by local authorities (trading standards in England, Scotland and Wales and District Councils in Northern Ireland).

Multiple Occupation

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if his Department will conduct an assessment of the appropriateness of the definition of houses in multiple occupation; and if he will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: The Department considers the definition of a house in multiple occupation, as set out in the Housing Act 2004, is appropriate and has no plans to change it. We have recently issued a technical discussion paper on whether to extend mandatory licensing to those houses in multiple occupation with fewer than three storeys and plan to publish our response and proposed next steps in the coming months.

Multiple Occupation: Licensing

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what representations he has received from local councils on the application of (a) mandatory and (b) additional licensing for houses in multiple occupation; and if he will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: The Department published a technical discussion paper on licensing of houses in multiple occupation on 6 November 2015. We received representations from 170 local authorities which we are currently analysing. We plan to publish our response in the coming months.

Local Government: Pensions

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if his Department will introduce a requirement that Local Government Pension Scheme funds be invested in infrastructure projects.

Mr Marcus Jones: Administering authorities in the local government pension scheme in England and Wales have been asked to explain the proportion of their funds currently allocated to infrastructure projects and what proportion they intend to invest in infrastructure in the future. The benefits of scale achieved under the new pooling arrangements will enable authorities to be more ambitious and invest in infrastructure in a way that will help drive local growth.Administering authorities have also been asked to submit their detailed proposals for pooling their assets, including their plans to invest in infrastructure, by 19 July. The proposals will then be assessed to establish whether they comply with the Department’s criteria for the pooling of scheme assets, including infrastructure.

Social Services: Veterans

Ian C. Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if officials in his Department will have discussions with officials in the Department of Health on the establishment of a ring-fenced fund for local authorities to be able to disregard military compensation payments in financial assessments for social care.

Mr Marcus Jones: Armed forces veterans injured in service receive payments through the War Disablement Pension or the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme. The latter applies to veterans injured from 6 April 2005. These payments are divided into a personal injury compensation element and other payments. Traditionally, only the personal injury compensation payment has been fully disregarded.Since October 2012, Guaranteed Income Payments made to veterans under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme have been disregarded. The Department of Health has been in discussion with the Royal British Legion about how War Disablement Pension payments are treated. Currently, the first £10 per week of these payments is disregarded. The Government is considering how these payments to veterans should be treated in the financial assessment for social care charging in future.It is not the policy of this Government to ring-fence funding for particular purposes. This is to allow local authorities the flexibility to manage their own resources in the most efficient manner.

Local Government: Pensions

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will ensure that all proposed Local Government Pension Scheme asset pool governance structures have an equal number of scheme member representatives.

Mr Marcus Jones: The governance structures of the new pooling arrangements are matters to be determined locally and submitted as part of the detailed proposals we have asked funds to submit by 19 July.The pool governance structures should provide funds with the assurance that their investments are being managed appropriately by the pool, in line with their stated investment strategy and in the long term interests of scheme members.

Local Government: Pensions

Mr David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he has taken to ensure the powers of intervention over Local Government Pension Scheme funds' non-financial investment policies do not conflict with (a) Article 18 of EU Directive 41/2003 and (b) Occupational Pension Scheme Investment Regulations 2005.

Mr Marcus Jones: The Department is currently consulting on proposals to amend the scheme’s investment regulations to allow the Secretary of State to make a proportionate intervention in the investment function of an administering authority if it has not had regard to best practice, guidance or regulations. The consultation was published on the basis that the scheme is consistent with the way in which Directive 41/2003 on the Institutions for Occupational Retirement Provision Directive was transposed into national law, including the Occupational Pension Scheme (Investment) Regulations 2005. The consultation closes on 19 February.

Disability: Motor Vehicles

Michael Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will introduce a nationwide disabled Vehicle Excise Duty parking exemption list to ensure that disabled people are not required to apply to each local authority before being able to use their car parks.

Mr Marcus Jones: The Government has no plans to establish a nationwide disabled Vehicle Excise Duty parking exemption list for off-street car parking. It is for local authorities to comply with equalities legislation when providing a service, including off-street parking.

HM Treasury

Revenue and Customs: Procurement

Chris Stephens: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assurances HM Revenue and Customs seeks from its contractors and suppliers that they are fully compliant with their UK tax obligations.

Mr David Gauke: Prior to engagement, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) require a new contractor or supplier to provide their tax details, and to agree to HMRC performing revenue compliance checks throughout the procurement process, using information from its own records and taking appropriate action where required in line with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. Contracts for such engagements include clauses requiring that at all times the contractor or supplier shall comply with all statutes and regulations relating to direct or indirect taxes, and that failure to comply may constitute a material breach of the contract.

Cabinet Office

Government Digital Service: Procurement

Chris Stephens: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assurances the Government Digital Service seeks from its contractors and suppliers that they are fully compliant with their UK tax obligations.

Matthew Hancock: All contractors and suppliers are required to confirm that they are compliant with UK tax obligations in order to compete for contracts with the Cabinet Office.

Public Sector: Oldham

Jim McMahon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what land and property in Oldham his Department has identified for disposal as part of the One Public Estate programme over the next five years.

Matthew Hancock: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 5 February 2016 to UIN: 25342.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

National Lottery

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions his Department has had with the Big Lottery Fund on the renewal of the lottery licence.

Mr Edward Vaizey: The Gambling Commission is responsible for issuing the licence to run the National Lottery. Camelot currently hold the licence, which runs until 2023. The Commission expects to engage with a wide range of stakeholders, including lottery distributor bodies, during any future licence competition.

Department of Health

Liver Diseases

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the potential future savings to the public purse of reducing (a) hepatitis C related end-stage liver disease and (c) liver cancer.

Jane Ellison: No such formal assessment has been made, although the potential benefits of new treatments becoming available are widely recognised.

Hepatitis

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reasons the proposed hepatitis C improvement framework has not been published.

Jane Ellison: NHS England’s work to deliver a framework for hepatitis C services has been progressed so far through the formation and implementation of operational delivery networks providing clinical leadership which has progressed in parallel with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence assessment of new drug therapies. NHS England and Public Health England are currently considering the best approach to build further development of hepatitis C services which cuts across a number of commissioning organisations and that NHS England will be publishing an update shortly.

Health Services: EU Nationals

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to prevent EU health tourism.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost to the public purse of EU health tourism has been in each of the last three years.

Alistair Burt: Since its inception in 2013, the Department’s Visitor and Migrant NHS Cost Recovery Programme has been working to design and implement key improvements to ensure that those people who should pay for National Health Service care are identified and charged. Achievements include: - The launch of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) reporting incentive on 1 October 2014. All EHIC activity correctly reported by NHS secondary providers, so that the UK is able to make appropriate reimbursement claims from other member states, allows them to access an additional 25% funding; - The revision of the NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations which came into force on 6 April 2015, reducing the number of exemption from charge categories and realigning the Regulations to the principle that the NHS is a residency-based healthcare system; and - Support and engagement with NHS providers through meetings with senior trust employees and the launch of a cost recovery support team to provide bespoke assistance to trusts to improve their processes for identifying chargeable patients and recovering funds owed, including those from Europe. The Department is currently consulting on the extension of charging overseas visitors and migrants using the NHS in England. Part of the consultation proposes to amend the residence definition for EEA nationals, by which they qualify for free NHS treatment in England. The consultation is due to conclude on 7 March 2016. The Department does not hold information on the cost to the public purse of EU health tourism.

NHS Trusts

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many NHS trusts are running a deficit.

Alistair Burt: Latest available data on NHS provider deficits has been published in the “NHS providers: quarterly performance report” available via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-providers-quarterly-performance-report-quarter-2-201516

General Practitioners: Working Hours

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to encourage GPs to undertake out-of-hours shifts in primary care.

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions his Department has had with NHS England to agree a long-term arrangement to control the cost of medical indemnity cover for out-of-hours GPs.

Alistair Burt: The Department and NHS England are committed to addressing the issue of increasing medical indemnity costs for general practitioners (GPs), including those working out of hours. Increasing costs of indemnity cover associated with out of hours work may discourage GPs from undertaking out-of-hours shifts in primary care. The Department was represented at a roundtable event held by NHS England on 17 November 2015 to develop a shared understanding of how to address rising medical indemnity costs. A range of stakeholders, including the British Medical Association and Medical Defence Organisations, also attended. On 9 December 2015, NHS England announced a winter indemnity scheme to offset the additional indemnity premium for GPs who wish to work additional sessions for their out-of-hours providers. Discussions are ongoing between the Department and NHS England on a long-term solution.

Accident and Emergency Departments

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps are being taken to develop the model of co-location of urgent and emergency primary care services with A&E.

Jane Ellison: In August 2015, NHS England published Safer, faster, better: good practice in delivering urgent and emergency care, which can be found here:https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/trans-uec.pdfThis provides guidance to help frontline providers and commissioners re-design urgent and emergency care services, including considering locating urgent care centres in emergency departments. Safer, faster, better notes that urgent care centres co-located with emergency departments provide an opportunity to stream patients with less serious illnesses and injuries to a service that is resourced to meet their needs, while reducing crowding in emergency departments. It also sets out that to preserve flow, urgent care centre staff and cubicles must wherever possible be entirely separated from those used for patients with life-threatening or serious injuries or illnesses or who are going to be admitted. The guidance also includes that where urgent care centres are co-located with emergency departments, there must be appropriate integration, with shared governance arrangements and clearly defined protocols for the two-way transfer of patients.

Mental Health Services: Children in Care

Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance NHS England provides for prescribing therapeutic support for children in care; and what funding is available within the Government's mental health budget for the provision of such support.

Alistair Burt: NHS England is not responsible for providing guidance on prescribing and treatment of therapeutic support for children in care, this is the role of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. The Government is committed to making the full £1.4 billion investment available over the course of this Parliament to improve mental health services for children and young people. In line with NHS England’s guidance to support the development of Local Transformation Plans (LTPs) for children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing all clinical commissioning groups have produced plans that have now been assured and funding allocated for implementation. These LTPs required all key partners to agree locally how best to meet the mental health needs of children and young people in their local populations and should cover the whole spectrum of need, which includes improving access to mental health services for vulnerable groups such as children in care, so that they can receive high quality mental health care when they need it.

Mental Health Services

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he plans to take to ensure that all patients who are subject to the provisions of the Mental Health Act 1983 have all their rights discussed or explained to them before any treatment is carried out, as recommended by the Care Quality Commission's sixth annual report, HC483, published on 14 October 2015.

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he plans to take to ensure that all mental health practitioners and providers receive training on the revised Code of Practice relating to the Mental Health Act 1983 in all 57 mental health NHS trusts as recommended by the Care Quality Commission's sixth annual report, HC483, published on 14 October 2015.

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies on the use of the Mental Health Act 1983 are of the Care Quality Commission's sixth annual report, HC483, published on 14 October 2015.

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he plans to take to ensure that all staff with mental health facilities receive guidance on the implications for their work of the Mental Health Act and the Code of Practice on that Act, with its guiding principles, published on 15 January 2016.

Alistair Burt: The Mental Health Act 1983: Code of Practice, which came into force in April 2015, provides statutory guidance on how functions under the Mental Health Act 1983 (the Act) should be carried out. All providers of mental health services under the Act have a duty to abide by both the provisions of the Act and the detailed guidance on how implement those provisions contained in the Code of Practice. That includes the duty of all such mental health providers to ensure their staff know and understand their responsibilities under the Act. Empowerment and the involvement of patients are key principles underpinning the Act, and the Code of Practice is clear that detained patients must be informed of their rights; that it is the responsibility of those treating them to ensure that patients understand their rights; and that patients are aware that they are entitled to ask for the assistance of an Independent Mental Health Advocate (IMHA) to help them understand this information. The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) annual report Monitoring the Mental Health Act 2014/15 indicates that CQC have already taken action where providers are failing to effectively monitor the Act, train staff and support patients and recommends that services use the findings of that report to make sure staff have the right skills and knowledge and decide what action needs to be taken to improve the care and support available for patients.

NHS: Finance

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure (a) more efficient use by the NHS of funding from the public purse and (b) support for investment in the health and care system in areas most likely to deliver positive benefit to the most people.

Alistair Burt: We are taking steps to help spend taxpayers’ money more efficiently and enable the National Health Service to live within its resources. By 2020-21, the Government will increase funding for the NHS by £10 billion a year in real terms compared to 2014-15, to support the implementation of the NHS’s own plan - the Five Year Forward View. We will be giving the NHS £3.8 billion more next year, over and above inflation. This will in part support a sustainability and transformation fund to give the NHS the resources it needs to sustain services as well as delivering the transformational changes required to achieve year-on-year efficiency and productivity improvements. We will use the local planning process to identify those areas where investment in transformation will deliver positive benefits to the most people and will focus on encouraging the most productive ways of working throughout the NHS. These measures will help ensure we get the maximum value for patients and service users whilst delivering high quality care.